Napoli fans wildly celebrate Italian soccer league title

With a mural of Diego Maradona in the background, Napoli fans celebrate after winning the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Napoli in Naples, Italy, Thursday May 4, 2023. Credit: AP/PTI Photo

Napoli fans are celebrating wildly in the streets of the southern city following the team's first Serie A title in more than three decades.

Diego Maradona led the team to the 1987 and 1990 titles, and Napoli sealed its third championship with a 1-1 draw at Udinese on Thursday.

The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples was open for fans to watch the game against Udinese on giant screens and a capacity crowd of more than 50,000 showed up, setting off fireworks at the final whistle.

Also read | Napoli crowned Serie A champions after 33 years after 1-1 draw with Udinese

Also, Napoli fans following the team at the Dacia Arena at Udine, in northern Italy, stormed the field after the game.

There was also a big crowd of fans at a Maradona mural in the downtown Quartieri Spagnoli neighborhood in Naples.

League scoring leader Victor Osimhen equalized for Napoli early in the second half by redirecting in a rebound after Sandi Lovric had put Udinese ahead early on.

Napoli moved an insurmountable 16 points ahead of second-place Lazio with five matches still to play.

No team south of Milan or Turin had won the Italian league since Roma claimed the title in 2001.